Fluke custom USB-IR cable

[ckambiselis]

Hello,

I bought a Fluke 287 DMM used from UK real cheap and in great condition, but it's firmware is the original one and I wanted to update it and maybe try to get some logging data to my computer, since the original Fluke cable seems to be just an ordinary USB to IR cable with a custom mounting, and the it's price is like 60€ (way to much for something that simple).

So I bought a normal USB-IrDA cable from eBay to check it, but since my PC fried couple months ago I'm stuck with a Mac I got for free and of course the firmware update isn't available for Mac, I tried updating it with Win 7 in VirtualBox but I can't get it to show the IrDA as a serial port (the updater asks to select the (virtual) serial port the DMM is connected to) and it's impossible to get Win 98 (IrDA is shown as a serial port by default) working on the virtual machine since there is no driver support.

So I was wondering if someone has been able to communicate with meter using an ordinary USB to IrDA cable, just aligned with the DMMs port, with any version of Windows. Somewhere I had seen (before buying the meter) someone that had made the cable for another Fluke meter but I can't seem to find it anymore.

Thanks in advance
Oscar

[quarros]

Thanks for the information. I did not know that. I have a Fluke 289 and an old USB infra adapter so if I have time I will check it at the weekend.

[BravoV]

http://bbs.38hot.net/thread-17883-1-1.html

Photo of diy adapter made by other member in this thread -> fluke-287-289-firmware-update-version-1-16-now-posted

[ckambiselis]

http://bbs.38hot.net/thread-17883-1-1.html

Photo of diy adapter made by other member in this thread -> fluke-287-289-firmware-update-version-1-16-now-posted

Thanks BravoV, didn't seem to come up as a search result when I was searching for "Fluke USB IR cable" on the forum, gonna check with the poster if it works on Win 7.

[shailesh3t]

Hi guys,
am in the process of building an IR cable to USb for data logging purposes from a fluke 287,the cable from fluke is a bit too expensive  so am trying to build one

i would like to know with reference to the picture attached which one is the Infrared receiver and transmitter,
i have goggled a bit, and it seems that the black part 2 (DS1) is a receiver and the part 1 is a transmitter.
can someone who has a fluke 287 and the USB cable confirm which one is the receiver and transmitter
else this is the link for the FTDI and Infrared RX and TX
http://bbs.38hot.net/thread-17883-1-1.html 

thanks and regards
shailesh

[paul]

What software are you using to read the logged data back from the meter ?
Because if you dont like what Fluke are charging for the USB IR lead you really wont like the price of Fluke software

Have any of you found an alternative to FlukeView Forms (or whatever they call it) I have looked in the past but didnt find any thing, and I cant justify the cost of the software just to down load data.

Paul.

[BravoV]

What software are you using to read the logged data back from the meter ?
Because if you dont like what Fluke are charging for the USB IR lead you really wont like the price of Fluke software

Have any of you found an alternative to FlukeView Forms (or whatever they call it) I have looked in the past but didnt find any thing, and I cant justify the cost of the software just to down load data.

Paul.

Go here -> Sigrok and yes, Fluke 287/289 are supported -> Support page for 287 & 289

[shailesh3t]

Hi Paul,
been able to have the flukeview software from torrent
just the cable was not there!!
so have to make one:)

[paul]

BravoV  Thanks for the link, although I have a 189 but that is also supported. And my function generator

Looks like I will be making myself a lead soon.

BTW I cant see how the FlukeView software is worth the money they are charging, not for me anyway.

Paul.

[ckambiselis]

Hi guys,
am in the process of building an IR cable to USb for data logging purposes from a fluke 287,the cable from fluke is a bit too expensive  so am trying to build one

i would like to know with reference to the picture attached which one is the Infrared receiver and transmitter,
i have goggled a bit, and it seems that the black part 2 (DS1) is a receiver and the part 1 is a transmitter.
can someone who has a fluke 287 and the USB cable confirm which one is the receiver and transmitter
else this is the link for the FTDI and Infrared RX and TX
http://bbs.38hot.net/thread-17883-1-1.html 

thanks and regards
shailesh

Hi shailesh3t,

The black one should be the receive diode and the clear is the transmit.

Oscar

[coldframe]

You should try this IR Cable I made
In principle, the 287 is same structure

http://kimboricha.blogspot.kr/2013/12/build-usb-to-fluke-189-irinfrared.html

coldframe

[shailesh3t]

Hi Oscar, thx  for the info,
i did manage to make the fluke in receive mode
the fluke software for 189  cannot be used as the baud rate is not 115200 Baud, no parity, 8 bits, 1 stop bit,
will try later again

[shailesh3t]

HI coldframe thx for info,
its a nice link you have forwarded
thanks and regards
shailesh

[jankro]

Hello everybody.

I just found a cheap kit for this cable:
http://easy-taobao.com/taobao/view/id/19452386659

-J-

[bdivi]

any info on chipset, drivers, windows versions ?

[turbo!]

I think the biggest issue is the software. Limited protocol can be found online which I believe is really meant for calibration service as it includes the calibration button feature. The command set and data format needed to program the DMM, download data nd interpret the data as done by FVF is not available  

[Lunasix]

Interesting !
Some informations can be also found here : https://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/fluke-5x-ii-series-thermometer-tear-down-and-hacks/

[derMaddes]

You should try this IR Cable I made
In principle, the 287 is same structure

http://kimboricha.blogspot.kr/2013/12/build-usb-to-fluke-189-irinfrared.html

coldframe

Nice Job! Which components are equivalents for your :

• ST-7L,ST3811 : Photo Transistor(Diode) or equivalent
  EL-7L,SI3317 : Infrared Emitting Diodes(IRED) or equivalent

because they are pretty hard to get in europe.

Best Regards,
derMaddes

[macboy]

I built a very similar cable for my B&K 5360 (aka Metrix MX53), but I simplified it even more. I just used a $1 USB to TTL UART dongle, an IR LED, phototransistor and two resistors. The UART Tx drives the LED directly (through a resistor to Vcc), and the phototransistor (along with a pull-up resistor) drives the Rx directly. The pull-up resistor is tuned according to the signal strength, to give a good pulse shape.

[coldframe]

Hello,

Anything will do.
Maybe we can find a cheaper model .

Thanks!

[dgm_mixtoon]

hello, can you share the DIY?
the link is dead :/

[walter.aranda]

Hello, I am developing a small Python program that allows logging data from the multimeter 189 to a PC. I have successfully transferred data and saved it on the PC. Now, I would like to make some improvements, but I can't find the information I need. If anyone knows anything, it would help me a lot:
1. Is it possible to transfer the logging memory data from the multimeter to the PC? What serial command is used?
2. Is there any command to sample data from the second display and transfer it to the PC log?

[stj]

did you look at sigrok?

[walter.aranda]

did you look at sigrok?

That's right, I installed Sigrok some time ago, however, I haven't been able to connect since the program doesn't recognize the IR cable driver (original). I know the driver is correctly installed because I've tested it with a test program based on Python, and it works properly. I can even do logging and save it on the PC. It might be that the driver I'm installing is not suitable for the program. Could you send me the driver for this cable? I'll send you a PrtSC and the driver I'm using.